Hot Dragon, that's kind of cool. In Australia, do they listen to traditional Christmas music? I take it that the songs like "White Christmas", "Winter Wonderland", don't really exist down under, does it?

strangely we have many of the same carols as you. there are a few uniquely australian carols, and australianised versions of traditional ones. however, there are polystyrene snowmen everywhere, shops spray frosting on the windows and hang plastic icicles outside, its wierd given that it NEVER snows and its the beginning of summer.

and hardly anyone in australia drinks fosters. most bottle shops dont bother to stock it, there are much better beers. and wine. wine is starting to take over as australias staple drink.

strangely we have many of the same carols as you. there are a few uniquely australian carols, and australianised versions of traditional ones. however, there are polystyrene snowmen everywhere, shops spray frosting on the windows and hang plastic icicles outside, its weird given that it NEVER snows and its the beginning of summer.

and hardly anyone in australia drinks fosters. most bottle shops dont bother to stock it, there are much better beers. and wine. wine is starting to take over as australias staple drink.

Interesting that Australia "adopted", should I say, the same carols from the USA and Europe, for that matter.

I've seen some Australian wines here in Southern California. Foster's gets advertised a lot here. Just 20-second commercials

much of australian culture has grown out of english culture, for a long time we were an english colony, we have a shared history, language, even genetics. this has changed in the last couple of generations especially, to the point where australia really has its own culture now. but that culture has its roots.

i was in europe some years ago and fosters was everywhere. bizarre, given that most english beers are far superior to fosters. most beers are. aussie wine is good. if you have the chance, any red from the Barossa Valley is excellent, the Barossa doesnt produce any bad wine.

I think your last comment was right in that it probably would not happen at all. Our education system here is adamantly antiChristian. Many have bought into the "Separation of Church and State" myth. When there is nothing at all in the constitution that even implies such a belief.

We are not allowed to have a nativity scene in our Govt indoctrination centers in the USA.

Correct, unless all other faiths are permitted such exhibits as well and there's no preference given one over the other. It's generally improper for public schools to be putting up religious displays.

You are free however to do that in your home and your church.

Works both ways, you are free to practice your atheism anywhere. However, you want your religion to dominate, so you obstruct the practice of religions other than your own.

Your kind of atheist is subtle. You don't preach your religion from pulpits. You preach your atheistic religion from the courts.

Your religion is more palatable than some that teach eternal hell for everyone who disagrees with their religion. That is a plus for your atheistic religion, though the "tolerance" that you claim characterizes your practice of your religion is false, and hypocritical.

We are not allowed to have a nativity scene in our Govt indoctrination centers in the USA.

Correct, unless all other faiths are permitted such exhibits as well and there's no preference given one over the other. It's generally improper for public schools to be putting up religious displays.

You are free however to do that in your home and your church.

Works both ways, you are free to practice your atheism anywhere. However, you want your religion to dominate, so you obstruct the practice of religions other than your own.

Your kind of atheist is subtle. You don't preach your religion from pulpits. You preach your atheistic religion from the courts.

Your religion is more palatable than some that teach eternal hell for everyone who disagrees with their religion. That is a plus for your atheistic religion, though the "tolerance" that you claim characterizes your practice of your religion is false, and hypocritical.

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I suggest you take a look at the video at the top of the thread as you've confused government silence on religion with an endorsement of atheism, a symptom of the normative Christianity you were reared in. The video correctly shows what a government endorsement of atheism would actually be like.